


sometimes, all i think about is you

by greeksalad



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Christmas, Couch Cuddles, Domestic Fluff, F/F, First Kiss, Implied Sexual Content, Kissing, Movie Night, Snow, Texting, Travel, Wedding Night, its about the feels, this is just a collection of oneshots under 1k
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:00:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25474261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greeksalad/pseuds/greeksalad
Summary: “Seriously, Kya? The Rise of Kyoshi,again?"Kya's over in the kitchen, but Lin knows she’s grinning. “Yeah, duh! It’s a great movie.”“I’m pretty sure we’ve watched it for the last three movie nights,” Lin says, exasperated. "Why don't we watch something else?"There’s the sound of pots clanging, then: “Okay, hear me out: Kyoshi’s hot.”Lin thinks about it for a second, then nods. "Fair enough."-----a series of short kyalin oneshots.
Relationships: Lin Beifong/Kya II
Comments: 113
Kudos: 249





	1. snow

**Author's Note:**

> these are all unconnected one-shots. if a specific warning/tag applies, it'll be stated at the beginning of the chapter.
> 
> enjoy my random 2am thoughts :)

Lin’s morning begins like every other – with the blankets half shoved on the floor and Kya clinging to her like a limpet. 

(Lin will never admit it, but she’s just as cuddly.)

Like every other morning, she spends ten minutes painstakingly extricating herself from Kya, then heads through into the kitchen to make coffee. She props her elbows against the countertop and skims through the newspaper while she waits for it to brew.

It’s nice, being awake this early. Sometimes it’s like she’s the only one in the world that’s awake; there’s no faint rumbling of Satomobiles outside, no shopkeepers opening up for the day. Just her, the coffeepot quietly bubbling away, and the _swish_ of the newspaper’s pages being turned. It’s peaceful. 

Lin doesn’t get a lot of peace in her life. 

Now, just like every other morning, she pours herself a cup of coffee (plain black; no sugar, no milk, none of Kya’s weird shots that she likes to experiment with.) She cups the mug with both hands and raises it to her face, enjoying the dual sensations of the warm ceramic against her palms and the fragrant steam on her face. 

Like every other morning, she walks across their cold wooden floors to the window and opens the shutters, where she’ll enjoy her coffee while staring out at a quiet, sleeping city. 

  
Except, today, it’s different. 

She’s greeted with a sea of white; fresh snow, stretching out for miles and miles. It’s fallen all over their backyard and across the city’s rooftops; Kya’s little herb garden on the windowsill is an odd splash of colour amongst the bleak landscape. It looks surreal, _fake_ , like a child’s model of a town. 

(For a moment, Lin wants to exist here forever, because it’s quiet, and it’s just her, and it’s so _peaceful_ that she feels like nothing could ever disturb it.)

  
She’s startled out of her strange little trance by the feeling of arms snaking around her waist from behind.

“Good morning, love. Nice weather we’re having, huh?” Kya says.

She sounds so sleepy, so _soft_ and _warm_ , and Lin can tell she’s smiling, even though she has her face resting against Lin’s shoulder. It’s almost unbearably domestic. 

“I want to stay here forever,” Lin says in lieu of a proper greeting, sounding half-dazed and more than a little nonsensical. _I want to stay in this moment with you._

Kya seems to get what she means, though. She presses a kiss to the top of Lin’s head, then to her cheek. “Then stay.”

Groaning, Lin leans back into Kya’s embrace, tips her head onto her shoulder. Kya smiles down at her, her eyes sleep-soft in the morning light, hair flowing freely down her back. Belatedly, Lin realises Kya’s not wearing a shirt; just a pair of Lin’s pants and their duvet, which she has tucked around her shoulders. It pools onto the floor behind her like an extravagant ballgown. 

“I have to go to work,” she says half-heartedly. 

Kya’s eyes twinkle. “Not if we’re snowed in.”

Lin frowns, more out of confusion than a desire for that not to be true. “The snow’s not that deep. It’s half a metre, at best.”

Leaning around Lin, like she’s not quite willing to lose the skin-on-skin contact, Kya throws open the window. Cold air rushes inside; Lin grips her mug tighter. 

Untangling herself from Lin (and looking fairly reluctant about it), Kya drapes the blanket over Lin’s shoulders for safekeeping. Then, in a rather unexpected turn of events, she moves over to the window and dangles her whole upper body out of it. Lin can’t quite see what she’s doing, but she looks like she’s waving her hands around, like she’s- _Oh. She’s bending._

The snow beneath the window shifts, then flows through the air and piles up outside their front door, fully blocking their exit point. It looks hilariously put-on.

  
Kya turns back to Lin, beaming in that way that means _I’m incredibly proud of some stupid shit I’ve done_. “Oh no,” she says, completely monotone. “We’re snowed in. Guess you can’t go to work today. What a shame.”

  
Lin can’t help it; she laughs. Her wife’s standing in front of her, tits out, snow in her hair, huge smile on her face, and it’s barely even six in the morning. “You know, I could just, like, climb out the window and go,” she says, biting back a smile as she gathers Kya up in her arms, resting her mug on the windowsill. Kya reaches out and wraps the blanket around her shoulders, too, trapping Lin against her like a two-person burrito. 

  
“Shhhhh,” she says, weaseling her arm between them to put a finger against Lin’s lips. “Don’t be a spoilsport.”

  
Lin puckers her lips in a poor attempt at kissing Kya’s finger. Kya snorts. “Hmm, well, I guess I could stay home today. Seeing as I’m stuck here, and all.”

  
Kya does a little celebratory dance – a tad awkwardly, considering there isn’t a lot of space between them. “Best news I’ve heard all day.”

  
“You’ve only been awake for ten minutes,” Lin says drily.

  
Pointedly ignoring her, Kya plants a smacking kiss on Lin’s forehead. “Come back to bed,” she says, stepping back in the direction of their room and letting the blanket fall away from her. “I’m all cold from hanging out the window – I need my wife to come warm me up.” She wiggles her eyebrows suggestively. 

  
Lin rolls her eyes fondly (and makes a poor attempt at pretending like she wasn’t staring at Kya’s breasts.) “ _Riiiight_ ,” she says, but follows her anyway. 

  
Her coffee sits on the windowsill, completely forgotten, for another couple of hours.


	2. movie night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the fortnightly movie night in the Beifong household. Kya is... fairly predictable.

“Seriously, Kya? _The Rise of Kyoshi_? Again?”

Kya’s over in the kitchen, but Lin just _knows_ she’s grinning. “Yeah? It’s a great movie.”

“I’m pretty sure we’ve watched it for the last three movie nights,” Lin says, exasperated.

There’s the sound of pots clanging, then: “Okay, but consider this: Kyoshi’s hot.”

Lin secretly agrees, but she makes a point of sighing loud enough that it can be heard from the kitchen.

Kya’s laughter sounds a lot closer than before, and Lin looks up to see her heading towards the couch bearing a big bowl of popcorn. She has on the big, blindingly colourful socks that she made during her brief knitting phase. Lin says they’re a monstrosity and a plague upon the earth, and she keeps threatening to burn them; Kya thinks they’re the best thing she’s ever created.

“What can I say, I have a thing for strong earthbender women,” Kya teases.

“Technically, she’s the Avatar.”

“Shhh, just take the compliment.” Kya plops down beside Lin and wedges the popcorn between her and the armrest, then starting poking around with the remote. Immediately, Lin throws her legs over Kya’s lap.

Kya pouts at her until Lin shuffles around and rests her head there instead.

They get about halfway through the movie (Kya reacts to everything as if she hasn’t seen it a million times before and Lin throws popcorn at her every time she gasps dramatically) before Kya needs to go refill the bowl.

She nudges Lin’s side with her elbow. “Hey, hop up for a sec.”

When there’s no reply, Kya looks down to see Lin fast asleep. Her face is lax, lacking that furrow in her brow that you only realise is _always_ _there_ once it’s gone, and her mouth is half-open.

Really, Lin can’t be blamed for falling asleep. She’s seen the movie before, and Kya’s been absently carding her fingers through her hair for an hour, which is a sure-fire way to knock her out. She probably should’ve expected this.

Sighing, Kya settles back against the couch. She doesn’t have the heart to move Lin – she’s such a light sleeper that any movement is likely to wake her up – and besides, Kya knows she doesn’t get much sleep at the best of times.

She resumes petting Lin’s hair and unpauses the movie. Popcorn can wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for anyone wondering, [these ](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f8/1a/af/f81aaf71befb201cd8fe2cd4ffddd050.jpg)are kya's socks


	3. dunes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kya's off on a work trip, leaving Lin alone at home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> modern au/text fic in which kya is a wildlife photographer off on a trip to the namib desert, and lin is a retired judo world champion currently working as korra’s coach :))
> 
> warning: involves a fairly non-explicit description of nudes. if that makes you uncomfortable, maybe skip this one

**sexy hippie:** i miss you :(

**Lin:** Aren’t you only meant to be using your satellite phone in an emergency?

**sexy hippie:** this IS an emergency

 **sexy hippie:** i miss my girlfriend :( :(

**Lin:** I miss you too. Our apartment feels weird when you’re gone

**sexy hippie** : awwww

 **sexy hippie:** that might just be because of the rats though

**Lin:** Wait, what??? What rats??

**sexy hippie:** haha who said anything about rats?? we definitely don’t have a rat problem again and if we did it definitely wouldn’t be because i keep feeding them. pfft imagine that

 **sexy hippie:** how was your day

**Lin:** K y a

 **Lin:** Oh, nvm. We need to talk about this when you get home though – you can’t keep feeding the rats!!!

 **Lin:** Anyway, my day’s been fine so far. Was in the gym with Korra for a bit this morning

**sexy hippie:** oh, ik ;)

 **sexy hippie:** asami sent me a pic of you two working on your pins

 **sexy hippie:** you look really good in that tanktop ;))))

**Lin:** Aren’t you meant to be working?? I’m guessing National Geographic aren’t paying you to sit around and stare at my biceps

**sexy hippie:** first of all don’t deflect the compliment

 **sexy hippie:** secondly, your biceps are very nice and i absolutely should get paid to stare at them. i would be very rich if that was the case

 **sexy hippie** : thiRDLY, we finished up for the day about an hour ago

**Lin:** Oh, right. Forgot about the time difference. It’s about seven-ish for you now, right?

**sexy hippie:** yeah you ding dong <3

**sexy hippie sent an image**

**[** It’s a picture of the sunset, taken out of the open door of Kya’s tent. The sky is painted a brilliant red-gold, laced through with pale pinks and burning oranges. The sand dunes seem to almost glow in the light of the sunset, and in the background the slightest hint of a gold-tinted ocean can be spotted. **]**

 **sexy hippie:** look how pretty that is !!!!!!

**Lin:** Almost as pretty as you :)

**sexy hippie:** aWWWWW :))

 **sexy hippie:** i miss you

 **sexy hippie:** i wish you were here with me

 **sexy hippie:** everyone here is kinda boring

 **sexy hippie:** except kunraq. when we were in mocâmedes i dared him to eat this HUGE scorpion and he did !!!

 **sexy hippie:** and then he threw up but it was still very impressive

**Lin:** I wish I could’ve come, too. Korra’s next tournament is still a while away, so it would’ve been perfect timing

 **Lin:** Can’t believe I’m saying this but a vacation would be nice

**sexy hippie:** w o w

 **sexy hippie:** who are you and what have you done with my workaholic gf???

 **sexy hippie:** kidding, but we should definitely go on a trip together soon. one that’s not for my work

**Lin:** Agreed

 **Lin:** Oh, and I miss you too. Like, a lot.

**sexy hippie is typing…**

**sexy hippie:** are you alone right now ?

**Lin:** Yeah, I’m at home. Why??

**sexy hippie:** hang on a sec

**sexy hippie sent an image**

**[** Kya stands on top of a small sand dune. She’s completely naked except for a comically floppy, wide-brimmed hat and a pair of thick hiking boots. Behind her, the sky has started to fade into a soft navy blue, freckled with silver stars, but what remains of the golden sunset seems to cling to Kya’s tanned skin, outlining her bare curves with liquid bronze. She looks almost ethereal, if you ignore the dubious shoes-plus-hat combination and the exaggerated kiss she’s blowing the camera.]

**Lin:** Wow okay

 **Lin:** Wasn’t expecting that

 **Lin:** You look good

 **Lin:** Really good :)

**sexy hippie:** just a little something to tide you over while you wait for me to get back ;)

**Lin:** I’m honestly not sure how to feel about the fact that you wore hiking boots in your nudes.

 **Lin:** And what’s with the sunhat?? Why would you need it if the sun's already set?

**sexy hippie:** shhhh

 **sexy hippie:** i think it’s sexy

**Lin:** …Sure, let’s go with that.

**sexy hippie:** don’t pretend like that didn’t turn you on

 **sexy hippie:** just a lil

**Lin:** …

**sexy hippie:** i kNEW IT

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did kya strip naked in the middle of a campsite to take good nudes for her gf?? yes, absolutely, and she’d do it again. casual nudist kya 2020


	4. mistletoe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At Tenzin's Christmas party, Lin gets into an unexpected (but, surprisingly, not unwanted) situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alternative summary: 900 words of lin and kya being horny

There’s a piece of mistletoe hanging over Kya and Lin’s head.

They’re standing in the hallway, and there’s mistletoe above them.

Lin is standing, _with Kya,_ under the mistletoe.

Lin. Kya. Mistletoe.

_Fuck._

_How did I not notice that?_ Lin berates herself. _Some detective you are, Beifong._

Externally, Lin has her Chief Crankypants™ expression on. Internally, she’s screaming and throwing a chair at the wall like a kid having a tantrum.

Korra and her weird little posse are hanging around the edge of a doorframe down the hall, as if they’ve been summoned by Lin’s misfortune. Bolin and Korra are making the exact same wide, loony smile. It’s extremely unnerving.

 _Fuck the universe,_ Lin thinks.

“You have to kiss her, Chief. It’s the Rules of Christmas,” Korra says sagely, somehow managing to verbally capitalize the words.

“ _No,_ ” Lin says, glaring at Korra.

Kya plants her hands on her hips, cocks one eyebrow playfully. “Aww, c’mon, Lin. You heard her, it’s the rules of Christmas. Wouldn’t want to get on Santa’s naughty list, would you?”

Lin rolls her eyes. “Oh no, wouldn’t want that,” she mutters sarcastically.

(Privately, she thinks that someone who drinks as much as she does probably has their name written on _Santa’s naughty list_ in permanent marker.)

As per usual, Kya doesn’t seem phased by Lin’s grumpiness; instead, she takes half a step forwards until she’s right up in Lin’s space. She lowers her head, lets her lips brush the shell of Lin’s ear, hidden behind the fall of Kya’s hair like it’s a secret, just for the two of them. A shiver rolls down Lin’s spine at the teasing touch, but her face remains impassive.

Lin has never been so glad that she mastered the perfect poker face decades ago.

“I’m not going to force you to,” Kya murmurs. Her breath wafts across Lin’s cheek, smelling faintly of alcohol and something uniquely _Kya_ that Lin can only describe as sea salt, as ridiculous as that sounds. Her voice in her ear is warm and _unbearably_ intimate. Lin’s fingers twitch at her sides.

Kya tilts her head purposefully so that her lips drag against Lin’s skin. When she speaks, her voice is low, almost sultry, but with the faintest hint of amusement. “I think you want to, though.”

“I…” is all Lin manages. In the back of her mind, she registers that she’s standing stock-still. _Push her away_ , her common sense screams, but for some reason Lin can’t bring herself to move. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

The thing is, though, is that Kya’s right. Lin really, _really_ wants to kiss her.

Maybe it’s the way her throat still burns from the whiskey she drank earlier, maybe Su and her habit of making impulse decisions just for the hell of it have finally rubbed off on her – maybe, just maybe, Lin’s sick of denying herself the things that she wants: whatever it is, it’s making Lin’s level of self-control dangerously low.

Kya opens her mouth to speak, and Lin finds herself turning towards her ever so slightly so that Kya’s lips move over her cheek in some kind of quasi-kiss. Lin closes her eyes, lets Kya’s voice wash over her, lets herself enjoy the long-forgotten sensations of gentle, intimate touch _,_ just _lets herself._

It’s always been hard for Lin to let go. With Kya, though, it’s always been scarily easy.

Kya makes a pleased noise, like Lin’s done something good, even though she’s just standing there, completely frozen, like an idiot. “I don’t bite, if that’s what you’re worried about,” she whispers. Pauses a second, then, lowering her voice a fraction, delivers the final blow: “Unless you want me to, of course.”

Lin’s fingers _ache_ to reach out and touch, and Kya’s body is a long, warm line along her side, and it’s been _so long_ and she wants _so bad-_

Snarling out a half-hearted “ _fuck you”_ under her breath, Lin turns her head and seals her mouth over Kya’s. It’s not a particularly _polite_ kiss, all pent-up frustration and bruising force, but _fuck,_ it’s so good.

Kya takes half a second to respond, like she was taken by surprise. Her hands come up to cradle Lin’s face, one thumb stroking soothingly along the strong line of her jaw until Lin eases up a bit.

Tentatively, Lin reaches out and rests her hands on Kya’s waist. At the touch, Kya’s lips ( _really soft lips, wow, what the hell does she put on those things to make them_ that _soft?)_ twitch upwards into a little half-smile against Lin’s.

Lin’s a little out of practise, but she has to admit, it’s a _good kiss._ It’s a slow, sweet thing, all slick lips and warm softness and gentle touches. Kya’s tongue darts out to sweep over Lin’s lower lip, sending a bolt of heat ricocheting down her spine, and suddenly Lin is so breathless that her head spins and she has to pull away, just for a moment.

Of course, Korra chooses that moment to ruin it.

“Wooo, get it, Auntie Kya!” she shouts. When Lin looks over, she’s giving the two of them an encouraging thumbs up. Asami has her head in her hands, Mako is beet red, and Bolin looks like he got hit by a truck.

Lin _feels_ like she got hit by a truck.

Kya laughs and gleefully returns Korra’s gesture, looking for all the world like a cat that got the cream.

Lin thinks she should probably care that she just made out with her ex-boyfriend’s sister in the middle of his own Christmas party. She just can’t bring herself to, though.

Gently cradling the back of her neck with one hand, she kisses Kya again.

She flips Korra off with her free hand. 


	5. wedding night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After their wedding, Lin and Kya finally get some alone time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thIS IS A PRODUCT OF THE 2AM LONELY(TM) SO IF IT MAKES NO SENSE I APOLOGIZE. also, i'm pretty sure this is the closest i can get to writing smut without spontaneously combusting JSDHLSDLS

Kya flops down onto the bed. “So, I guess we fuck now, right?”

Lin snorts. “Romantic, babe.”

Kya sits up, leaning back on her hands. There’s a healthy flush to her cheeks from all the wine, and her hair has come undone a little from its elaborate updo, spilling around her faces in soft waves. Her eyes are sparkling in the lamplight. “I know, right?” When Lin turns to meet her gaze, one eyebrow quirked amusedly, Kya’s expression softens. “C’mere, my love.”

Lin walks across the room towards her, the carpet muffling her footsteps. After the festivity downstairs, the quiet of their room is especially intimate. Lin feels oddly shy.

As she approaches, Kya parts her legs, prompting Lin to step between them. She takes her weight off her hands and leans forward, gently tugging on Lin’s lapel, a funny little smile on her face. “Hello, wife,” she whispers.

Lin lets out a choked-up sound. She’s not sure if it’s a sob or a laugh; maybe it’s both. “Wife,” she murmurs. The word feels strange on her tongue, like a sweet that she always imagined the taste of and is finally getting the chance to eat. “I didn’t think we’d make it this far,” she says. She didn’t quite mean to say it, but the words come out anyway.

Kya smiles, laughs a little. “Me neither, honestly. I always thought you’d get yourself killed somehow before we got the chance to get married.”

Lin snorts, because, _yeah, fair enough._ “Well, I always assumed you’d run off to go join a nudist colony. Either that, or I’d end up locking you up for lilyweed use.”

“Touché,” Kya says, grinning up at Lin. With gentle fingers, she reaches up and begins to unbutton Lin’s shirt.

They don’t say anything for a while: don’t really need to, not when every tiny brush of Kya’s fingers against Lin’s skin says _i love you_ , not when the way Lin carefully takes the pins out of Kya’s hair says _i’m not going anywhere,_ not with how Kya pushes Lin’s shirt off her shoulders and presses her face to her stomach, letting her lips brand _i’m yours_ against the warm skin there.

When Lin can’t take all the tenderness, when she feels like she might actually explode from all her _feelings_ , she tangles her fingers in Kya’s now-loose hair and tugs lightly, directing her pretty gaze up to meet Lin’s. “What was that you said about fucking?” she asks.

Kya gives her the out, letting a smile take over her face as she rests her hands on Lin’s waist. “Oh, look who’s the romantic one now,” she teases.

Lin unashamedly sways forward into Kya’s (her _wife’s_ ) touch. “Isn’t that something newlyweds do?”

“I wouldn’t know,” Kya says, tugging on the waistband of Lin’s pants with one hand and unsubtly squeezing her ass with the other. “We could go get Tenzin in here, ask him. Maybe Su-“

Lin lets out a growl and lunges forward, getting one knee on the bed and crowding into Kya’s space until she’s flat on her back, like she’s wanted to do all night. Her notoriously short fuse finally having run out, Lin looms over her, a knee between her legs and both palms on either side of her head. Kya looks half dazed, half delighted. “Don’t you _dare_ ,” Lin says, glaring down at her, though the effect is somewhat ruined by her blown-out pupils and shirtlessness. “I swear to Raava, Kya, I’ll divorce you if you invite _anyone’s_ siblings in here right now.”

“Are you sure?” Kya teases. “We could have a fun family bonding night, like when we were kids – maybe bring out the old Pai Sho board?”

“ _Or,_ alternate suggestion: I could get you out of this dress and fuck you,” Lin says. Her tone is casual, her poker face as immaculate as always, but the knee pressing up firmly between Kya’s legs tells a different story. Kya’s breath hitches; Lin smirks. “Just an idea, though.”

“Well,” Kya says, suddenly sounding a lot more breathless than before. “With an argument that persuasive, how could I say no?”


	6. favor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for Lin to cash in an old favor.

“I got these flowers for you, baby.”

“Aww, sweetie, you didn’t have to! You’re the best, Tenny.” Then, right on cue, there come the obnoxiously loud kissing noises.

Lin only just stops herself from gagging. The temptation to launch the two of them into the sky with her bending is _so strong_ – all it would take is one measly stomp of her foot – but she resists. _Barely._

The thing is, she knows she shouldn’t be so mad about Tenzin and Pema getting together. Sure, it’s a little weird, what with Tenzin being almost twenty years older, but they make each other happy, which is more than Lin can say for herself towards the end of her and Tenzin’s relationship.

And seeing them together doesn’t hurt the way it used to, doesn’t make her heart feel like it’s being trampled on by a komodo rhino; now, it just _pisses her off._

 _I mean, I know Tenzin’s a little dumb, but how insensitive do you have to be to make out with your barely-legal girlfriend right in front of your ex?_ Lin thinks, mentally rolling her eyes. Why in _Raava’s name_ would she want Tenzin and Pema passionately making out on a bench to be the first thing she sees the moment she steps foot on Air Temple Island?

It’s too early for this shit.

The anger welling up inside of her is maybe a little childish, but she can’t help it. She knows Tenzin doesn’t mean to be unkind, but it feels like he’s rubbing his newfound happiness in her face. _Look at me: perfect Tenzin with my new, perfect girlfriend._

Clenching her jaw, Lin quickens her stride, trying to get out of hearing range _as fast as fucking possible._ The sound of their kissing is going to be the soundtrack of her nightmares, no doubt.

She gets about two metres, however, before something else catches her attention. Leaning against the side of the women’s dormitories, scroll in one hand and the other raised to block out the sun, is Kya, dressed in her usual summer garb of loose trousers and a Fire-Nation-style crop top. Lin had completely forgotten that Kya was back in town – something about the Southern Water Tribe Cultural Centre, she recalls vaguely from one of Kya’s old letters.

Lin’s spite-fuelled mind is already whirling. Before she realises what she’s doing, she’s marching towards Kya before she even has a fully formulated plan.

 _This is a terrible idea,_ one side of her brain says.

 _Fuck Tenzin,_ the other side says.

The latter wins out.

“Hey!” Lin calls, and Kya looks up, a small smile quirking the corners of her lips at the sight of Lin.

“Oh, hi, Linny,” she says, rolling up the scroll and shoving it in her back pocket. “Didn’t know you were-”

“Remember when I was fourteen and you made me take the blame for breaking Katara’s vase, and then you said you owed me a favour?”

(Kya blinks, a little taken aback by the purposefulness of Lin’s strides, not to mention the fact that Lin’s held onto something that happened nearly twenty years ago – oh, wait, no, that’s pretty on brand for Lin, actually.)

“Uh, yeah,” Kya says, very obviously not remembering at all.

Lin doesn’t miss a beat. “Well, you’re about to cash in that favour.” Coming to a halt in front of her, Lin catches Kya’s wrist, tugging her a little closer. Kya makes a startled noise as she stumbles slightly, catching herself with a hand on Lin’s waist. To her surprise, Lin doesn’t pull away.

The two of them are _so close_.

Kya’s not sure if it’s their proximity and the sudden heat of Lin’s body against her own, or the intensity in Lin’s eyes, but her breath hitches in her throat.

Lin’s eyes meet Kya’s. She looks almost… nervous?

Her tongue darts out to wet her lower lip, then:

“Don’t make this weird.”

Before Kya can even open her mouth to ask what the _fuck_ is going on, Lin’s lips are ghosting over hers in the softest, lightest kiss she’s ever experienced. One of her calloused hands comes to rest on the exposed skin of Kya’s waist, and Kya sucks in a startled inhale.

She didn’t think Lin could _be_ that gentle, that _tender,_ but _she is,_ and it makes Kya’s head spin.

 _Oh my Spirits, you’re thirty-two years old **,** Kya. Get it together, _she thinks semi-deliriously.

Lin draws back slightly, breath coming in a warm puff of air against Kya’s cheek. “Is that okay?” she murmurs.

Kya nods, a little shakily. _I’ve been in love with you for years, so I’m not exactly going to say no,_ she Does Not Say. Instead, she replies, “Yeah, can’t complain.”

Lin snorts, determinedly _not_ thinking about how good Kya’s lips felt against her own. _Tenzin’s lips were never that soft, never tasted so sweet,_ her mind says helpfully, and Lin internally beats the shit out of that thought with a baseball bat.

“Mind if I do it again?” she asks quietly, hoping the slight shake in her voice doesn’t give her away.

Kya’s eyes lock onto something over Lin’s shoulder, and a wry smile breaks out on her face. “Pissing Tenzin off?” she asks, and, when Lin nods, a little shame-faced, her smile only widens. “Fuck yeah. Sign me up.”

Lin’s a little embarrassed at how quickly she leans in to kiss Kya again, but Kya responds just as enthusiastically, cupping the nape of her neck with a cool palm. Blood rushes to Lin’s head, roaring in her ears as Kya’s lips part easily against her own.

This kiss is a slick, honied thing, alternating between hesitantly, testing-the-waters slow and head-spinningly fervent.

A hitched gasp hangs in the air between them, and Lin has no idea who it came from – could be either of them, to be honest, because Kya’s squeezing her ass and Lin’s tugging Kya’s bottom lip between her teeth and it feels _really fucking good._

Just as Lin starts to really consider dragging Kya back to her apartment, Kya pulls away. There’s a wicked smile parting her lips, and Lin stares helplessly at the spit-slick shine of them.

“I think your plan worked,” she says, and Lin whips around to see Tenzin and Pema gaping at them. To her immense satisfaction, Tenzin’s gone bright red, and his eyes are bugging out of the sockets. It takes all of Lin’s willpower not to laugh out loud.

She turns back to Kya, a ~~love confession~~ congratulations on her lips, but Kya’s already walking away. If Lin didn’t know better, she’d think she was purposely accentuating the sway of her hips.

(Kya is, without a doubt, purposely accentuating the sway of her hips.)

Kya’s loose hair whips in the breeze as she turns her head to call over her shoulder, eyes twinkling, “It was nice sowing chaos with you!”

“Um, yeah,” Lin says, voice cracking on the _yeah._ Luckily, Kya’s too far away to hear her. “You…too.”

The last thing Kya sees before turning the corner is Lin reaching up and brushing her lips with her fingertips, a wide-eyed look of realisation on her face. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *narrator voice* and that, folks, was the exact moment lin beifong realised she was not, in fact, Heterosexual


End file.
